Most of us who "learn what we want to about doing our own work" quickly learn the value of quality parts new or used. Shimano makes quality parts. Getting some that work for your application for 8$ sounds great, you should let it go at that.
Now I don't have any bike co-ops in my town, I sort of locate my own parts through various sources and use this forum to answer questions I have about any bike mechanic work I can't do myself. You're lucky to have a bike co-op. What a great resource. I agree with the poster who said, "if he asks for $8 give him a 10 spot and tell him to keep the change, but maybe that's just me.
Doing a little homework on your particular bike could get you more respect at the local co-op. If you just could write down some of the dimensions, and sizes in a little notebook or commit them to memory. Maybe know what brand of freewheel you have and how to remove your own chain. Things like that that you can do on your own. This way, the "teacher" who is likely just a volunteer won't have to appear "all condescending" on you.
This kind of reminded me when I took an adult woodworking class at at local school and also an introductory woodturning class a few years ago. I'm not saying I'm great, but I got more out of some of these "beginner" classes by going into it with a hungry attitude. I had boatloads of questions yes, but directed most of them to the library (or, I suppose nowadays as they say, "google is your friend"). So, you see being a complete "noob" can be pretty annoying when the learner could have gotten answers to the first 264 questions (give or take 300
) through self directed means. This kind of eager attitude helps the teacher immensely. Instead of dealing with "does this part exist?" you're able to flatter the teacher by allowing him to articulate on the finer details such as "stepped ferrules need to be crimped on the housing to get greater feel at the brake lever". See what I'm saying?
College educated noobs (I'm sorry to say) can be even more annoying because they want to analyze everything
intellectually. Do your bike homework, in between your college homework and family respsonsibility time, then you're starting to appreciate the value of others assisting you in getting where you want to get to. And this is where the fun begins if you've made it this far. A lot of us find mechanical work a revelation. Once you read about it, you know about it in theory. Once you do it, with your hands and do it correctly, you commit it to memory. And that has "quality" much higher than any $8 worth of disposable cash. You're connection to the co-op may obligate you to share the love and rig up some other dude's Schwinn Varsity brake levers next month.
